The programme for Government contains many commitments on public sector reform. Given today's reports about the retirement cliff in the Civil Service there are genuine concerns over the skill mix and the expertise that will be lost in coming years. The Association of Higher Civil and Public Servants has published some staggering statistics. Some 40% of those in management positions are aged 55 and over and therefore within ten years of retirement, 33% of assistant principal officers are in the same age bracket and a further 32% of the higher executive officers. That has the potential to cause very serious imbalance. Does the Government have any plan to deal with the issues of the impact the retirement cliff will have on the quality of public services? How does the Government intend to address this?

In the coming weeks the Government intends to introduce legislation to change the retirement age for people working in the public service. We have an interim arrangement in place in advance of that legislation coming in to give people, who choose to do so, the opportunity to work longer. I expect we will publish that legislation in the coming weeks. I hope we will be able to move that through the Oireachtas in the subsequent weeks.